UN’s Guterres Outlines ‘Intertwined Challenges’ Of Climate Change, Ocean Health Facing Pacific Nations On ‘Frontline’
By UN News
Visiting Fiji for the first time as Secretary-General, AntĂłnio Guterres outlined two âfundamental challengesâ facing leaders attending the Pacific Islands Forum on Thursday, namely climate change and the worldâs rising ocean, which threatens to submerge low-lying nations.
âThe Pacific region is on the frontline of climate changeâ, he said. âThat means you are also our important allies in the fight against itâ.
The UN chief said that he was there âto see the regionâs climate pressures firsthand, and to learn about the work being undertaken by communities here in Fiji and elsewhere to bolster resilienceâ.
Noting that the last four years were the hottest on record, Mr. Guterres highlighted recent ice losses in Greenland and Antarctica, saying that âsea levels will rise a full meter by 2100â.
In the Pacific specifically, he said that sea-levels are set to rise in some countries four times above the global average, posing âan existential threat to some island Statesâ.
Providing âample evidence of the regionâs vulnerabilityâ the UN chief cited recent damage caused by Tropical Cyclones Gita, Josie and Keni as well as by volcanic eruptions and earthquakes and other extreme weather events in the region.
âClimate change will further worsen the risksâ, he spelled out, noting that the salinization of water and crops is endangering food security and escalating the impact on public health.
He maintained that climate change also brings âclear dangersâ for international peace and security, pointing to the 2018 Boe Declaration, which reaffirms climate change as the single greatest threat to the wellbeing of the Pacific.
Mr. Guterres said that he recently appointed a task force to coordinate UN initiatives to address these challenges.
âMilitary strategists see clearly the possibility of climate impacts increasing tensions over resources and mass movements of peopleâ, he continued. âAs coastal areas or degraded inland areas become uninhabitable, people will seek safety and better lives elsewhereâ.
Recalling that more than 24 million people in 118 countries and territories were displaced by natural disasters in 2016, he told Pacific leaders their islands and communities “are in the forefront of global climate negotiationsâ.
He vowed the UNâs strong commitment âto supporting your response to climate change and reversing the negative trends that have put your cultures and very existence at riskâ.
A warming ocean
Climate change also threatens the well-being of the worldâs ocean and seas, which are critical to the economies and traditions of the Pacific.
âOceans are warming and becoming more acidic, causing coral bleaching and reducing biodiversityâ the UN chief told the Forum, stating that global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius would cause âsevere damage to tropical reefsâ.
Moreover, if warming reached two degrees Celsius or more, âit would be catastrophic for marine life and humans alikeâ he said. âFood security would decline. Economic growth would sufferâ.
But seas and marine life are also under attack from other directions. Mr. Guterres painted a picture of overfishing; underwater deserts in effect, with no oxygen; seas filled with poison and trash, and species becoming extinct within decades.
âEvery year, more than eight million tonnes of harmful plastic waste end up in the oceanâ he said. âAccording to one recent study, plastic could outweigh fish in our seas by 2050â.
While many countries are finally rejecting single-use plastic, the UN chief underscored that âwe must do even moreâ to address the unsustainable levels of stress on marine and coastal ecosystems.
He commended Pacific countries for ensuring the adoption of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development, saying that his Special Envoy for the Ocean, Fijiâs Peter Thomson, is promoting the SDGs and the outcomes of the UN Ocean Conference.
Needed: âUrgency, will and ambitionâ
âTo address the intertwined challenges of climate change and ocean health, we need smart and far-reaching stepsâ that require action aligned with the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda, which makes full use of tools, such as the Convention on the Law of the Sea, according to the UN chief.
âWe have the blueprints, frameworks and plansâ he stated. âWhat we need is urgency, will and ambitionâ.
Mr. Guterres spoke of his Climate Action Summit in September at UN Headquarters, as an opportunity âto scale upâ pledges to halt emission increases 2020, and âdramatically reduceâ them to net-zero emissions by mid-century.
He also stressed the importance of gender diversity in decision making as climate change has impacts on women, citing as an example that food salinization affects the health of pregnant women and newborns.
Pacific region leadership critical
Come September, Mr. Guterres said that sustainable development will be centre-stage as SDG progress will be reviewed and finance mobilization discussed.
He lauded Pacific countriesâ commitment to promote their vision of a âBlue Continentâ and maintained that their voices âremain crucial in global negotiationsâ.
âThe Pacific has a unique moral authority to speak outâ he said. âIt is time for the world to listenâ.